Introduction
Microsoft Surface Go is an affordable tablet with a good keyboard cover, making it an excellent choice for students. The Microsoft Surface Go runs Windows 10 Pro in S mode and comes with a processor that's powerful enough to handle basic multitasking tasks like word processing and web browsing. Once you've gotten used to using Windows 10 Pro in S mode, it'll be easy for you to switch over to the full version of Windows 10 Home or Pro if you need more functionality.
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| Credit: shutterstock.com |
Microsoft Surface Go
Microsoft Surface Go is a small tablet that can run Windows 10 Pro in S mode, which means it has more power than the traditional Windows 10 operating system. It has an Intel Pentium Gold Processor and 8GB of RAM (1TB HDD).
The Surface Go features a 10 inch screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. This means you get great video playback capabilities but not much room for games or graphics intensive applications like Photoshop or Adobe Premiere Pro unless you use them in desktop mode instead of tablet mode.
Microsoft Surface Go Tech Specs
The Surface Go is a 10-inch tablet with an Intel Celeron processor and 4GB of RAM. It also has 64GB of storage, which can be expanded to 256GB by adding a MicroSD card.
The screen on the Surface Go is made of Gorilla Glass, so you don't have to worry about it shattering if you drop it (like some other tablets). It has a brightness level of 400 nits, which means that even in bright sunlight you'll still be able to see what's going on on your screen clearly enough for reading or watching videos.
Specification:
| Specification | Microsoft Surface Go |
|---|---|
| Display | 10-inch PixelSense |
| Resolution | 1800 x 1200 pixels |
| Processor | Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 615 |
| RAM | 4GB / 8GB |
| Storage | 64GB eMMC / 128GB / 256GB SSD |
| Expandable Storage | MicroSD card slot |
| Battery Capacity | Up to 9 hours of video playback |
| Rear Camera | 8MP |
| Front Camera | 5MP |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home / Pro |
| Dimensions | 245 x 175 x 8.3mm |
| Weight | 522g (Wi-Fi) / 532g (LTE) |
| Price | Starts at $399 |
Please note that the specifications may vary slightly depending on the region or variant of the device.
Display
The Surface Go has a 10-inch PixelSense display, which is the same as the one in the Surface Pro 6. It’s an HD+ (1,920 x 1,200) LCD with 10-point multi-touch and 3:2 aspect ratio. The panel supports HDR10 content and it has two cameras: an 8MP wide-angle lens with f/2.4 aperture and another 5MP camera for depth sensing.
The resolution of this device is 267 ppi—not as high as some other Windows devices but still more than enough for most tasks you might want to do on it (especially compared with its predecessor).
Processor
The Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y processor is a 1.6GHz dual-core chip with 2MB of cache, running at 7W TDP. It's a more than capable processor for this form factor, but not enough to recommend it over the Surface Go's better parts—especially when you consider how much money you'll have to spend on an SSD or other high-end components in order to make your experience truly exceptional.
Storage and memory
The Surface Go has a total of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options. The base model has 4GB RAM, which you can upgrade to 8GB if you want to run demanding apps like Photoshop. You also get an SD card slot for extra storage as well as an Ethernet port for wired connections.
Graphics
The Surface Go comes with Intel UHD Graphics 615, 620 and 630.
Intel UHD Graphics 617 is also included in the Surface Go for those who want to take advantage of Windows Ink features.
The graphics performance of the Surface Go is below average compared to other devices on this list, but it can still play most games at medium settings or higher.
Cameras, video, and audio
The Surface Go comes with two front-facing cameras and a rear-facing camera. The front-facing cameras are used for video calls and video chatting, while the rear-facing camera is used to take pictures and video in tablet mode (i.e., not held up to your face).
The audio quality on both speakers was surprisingly good; they were loud enough that I didn't have to raise my voice or use headphones during our testing.
Ports
The Surface Go has a USB-C port, which is great for charging your device and connecting to accessories like a mouse, keyboard and external drives. There's also a mini display port for connecting monitors or other devices that don't have an HDMI port. It also includes two microphones: one on the top edge of the laptop and one on its backside (the latter being quite useful if you're trying to use Cortana).
The Surface Go comes with 32GB of storage built-in—you'll need at least 64GB if you want to store more than just movies on it—but it can be expanded via microSD card reader so long as your device supports this function (which we recommend).
Wireless
The Surface Go is a great laptop for the office or on the go. It has Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and GPS included in its price tag, so you can connect to your phone via Bluetooth or use it as GPS unit if you need to get directions from Google Maps when traveling outside of WiFi range.
The Surface Go also features NFC (Near Field Communication) technology that allows you to share content like photos and videos with other devices by simply tapping them on each other's screens; this makes sharing between humans easier than ever before.
Battery life
The Surface Go's battery life is one of its biggest selling points. With a full charge, you can expect about 10 hours of use—and that's on par with other laptops (although not necessarily with tablets). If you're someone who uses your laptop for long stretches at a time and wants to take it somewhere else or use it while traveling, this may not be ideal. But if you're just looking for something convenient and portable, then the Surface Go should be right up your alley.
Sensors
The Surface Go comes with sensors that allow it to detect its orientation and determine how you're holding the device.
The accelerometer detects motion, while the magnetometer measures magnetic fields.
A gyroscope tracks rotation around three axes of movement (X, Y, Z).
The sensors are used in a variety of applications: navigation (for using your phone's GPS), fitness tracking (with apps like Fitbit or Apple Health), and more.
Windows 10 Pro in S mode
Windows 10 Pro in S mode is a version of Windows 10 that is designed for business users. It can only be installed on the Surface Go, and it cannot be removed from the device. It's free for students, teachers, and staff at qualifying educational institutions.
Software
To get started, you'll need to purchase a Windows 10 Pro license. This comes in the form of a sticker that you place on your Surface Go's rear cover. The sticker will enable users to run Office 365 Personal for one year (and it will also enable them to download other apps) for $99. It's important to note that this subscription does not include any technical support from Microsoft—you'll be responsible for its ongoing maintenance costs yourself after the initial license expires.
As an added bonus, those who choose to sign up for Office 365 Personal get access not only to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote but also Outlook Mail and Calendar; SharePoint; Skype for Business; Lync Online (formerly known as "Skype") meetings; Minecraft Pocket Edition—as well as 1 TB of storage space in Box ($10/month), Dropbox ($9/month), Google Drive ($10/month) and OneDrive($5 per month).
Works as well as a laptop
The Microsoft Surface Go is a small tablet that works as well as a laptop. It's very light and portable, but it also has some features that make it more than just an app on your phone.
The Surface Go comes in two sizes: 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage or 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. We tested the most affordable version with an Intel Core m3 processor (1.8 GHz) for $499.
Conclusion
The Microsoft Surface Go is the perfect choice for students who want to take their work from the classroom to class and back again. It’s a small tablet that can run Windows 10 Pro in S mode, which means you won’t have to worry about upgrading your operating system as often or buying costly new hardware. With its Intel Core m3 processor, 4GB of memory and 128GB SSD storage space, it also has enough power for basic tasks like browsing the web and watching movies—but its main appeal lies in its portability (and price). This is an excellent device if you need both performance and portability at its best.
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This Blog is written by MR. TECH